Schastel marveile
by babal
Summary: Regina and Emma get kidnapped in the Enchanted Forest and brought to a castle where a mysterious man keeps dozen of women captive. Set in FTL after the season 2 premiere. SQ. Might get a higher rating at some point but for now it's T.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my imagination. **_

**I**

Regina was trying very hard to keep herself together while she was sitting on the floor spinning the Mad Hatter's hat. Nothing was happening. The situation was desperate. She could hear the wraith moving toward them destroying the town on his way. In a moment it would be there ready to destroy her soul.

She didn't know whether she should break down and cry over all she had lost and was going to lose or start laughing hysterically. After all it was a bit ironic that the 'heartless, soulless bitch' was afraid to actually lose her soul. There was of course also the option to stomp her feet and hit her head against the floor screaming like a two-year-old. Henry used to do just that when he was that age.

She did know though that if Charming didn't stop waving around that broomstick like an imbecile she would rip it out of his hands and hit him over the head with it. No wonder that the hat was not working. Who could possibly concentrate like that?

She was just about try if she could to it all at once when she felt a warm sensation spreading through her body. It made her feel calm and focused and hopeful. It had been a long time since she experienced hope without that gnawing feeling in her stomach that it was going to be ripped away from her again.

She glanced down and saw Emma's hand resting on her thigh and the hat creating a spiralling abyss. It was not a moment so soon. The wraith broke into the room and somehow Charming actually managed to push it into the vortex with that silly stick of his. Regina started to relax when the wraith caught Emma and pulled her down with her. Also Emma was no longer holding on to her Regina somehow got dragged down as well.

After a short but extremely dizzying fall both hit the ground with such an impact that Regina thought she must have broken every bone in her body. She scrambled to her feet and looked around for the wraith. Luckily it was nowhere to be seen but she spotted Emma lying on the floor a few meters from where she was standing.

For a moment she was worried that something might have happened to the other woman but when she heard Emma moaning and saw her pushing herself up she resisted the urge to run towards the blonde. Instead she stretched to get the kinks out of her body, straightened her clothes and ran her hand through her hair in an effort to bring it back to some resemblance of order.

By now Emma was walking towards her. Apart from a few drops of blood running down from a small cut on her left arm she was fine. "So, what happened and where the hell are we?" "What happened is fairly obvious Miss Swan. The wraith pulled us down with him to the Enchanted Forest. This should also answer your question about our current location," Regina replied.

Emma rolled her eyes. "It is amazing how you can still find the time to be annoyed at me when we just dropped out of the sky onto a place that shouldn't even exist anymore." To tell the truth Regina couldn't quite explain herself why the place had not been destroyed but she was certainly not admitting that. "And 'Enchanted Forest' is not really a precise location either" Emma continued.

Regina looked around. They were standing in front of a heap of broken stones that must have been some sort of altar at some time. The small square was surrounded by forest. She really couldn't tell where exactly they were. However, before she had to confess her ignorance a group of riders broke through the tree line.

"Who do we have here?" one of riders said in a voice that send a shudder down her spine. Him leering at their bodies didn't help much either. "It doesn't matter" one of the others said "they are clearly not Asian. He wanted an Asian one." "Yeah, but they have magic He'll want them even more."

Regina tried to conjure up a fire ball or freeze the riders or just transport herself away but her magic failed her again. Unfortunately she had never been good at fighting without magic and Emma who should know a thing or two about this didn't do anything. Did she always have to be so completely useless?

The leader threw a net over Emma and pulled her from her feet. A second later Regina was caught too. He climbed of his horse laughing and strolled towards them. "Now look at what I got. Two magic little fish. Hot, magic little fish. He will shower me with gold." Then he bent down and tied their hands and feet together and rolled them out of the nets. He beckoned to someone. Regina tried to stand up but before she succeeded she was lifted up by the tallest man she had ever seen. How she didn't notice him sooner was beyond her. She was laid over the back of a horse and shortly after Emma was hanging beside her.


	2. Chapter 2

**II**

Regina had expected that Emma would be struggling the whole way and braced herself for a few kicks. After all she could not be the only one the blonde was so confrontational with. But nothing, Emma was just lying there beside her. Regina decided to take full advantage of the unexpected quiet and concentrated of getting them out of there. She had seen earlier that their kidnappers were wearing magic repellent bracelets which would make attacking them directly futile. So when she closed her eyes she concentrated on transporting herself away. Even though she reached for all the hatred inside her it didn't work. After that she moved on to less demanding magic but when even the simplest spell failed and made her head spin she decided to let it be for the moment. Magic relied on patience and she was getting frustrated.

It was then that she noticed that Emma was not only not struggling but not moving at all. She had not spoken either but until that moment Regina assumed that the uncharacteristic silence was due to the threat they were given to keep their mouths shut unless they wanted to be gagged. Now, however; it made her uneasy. She turned her head to look at the women beside her but the long blond hair was blocking her sight. Suddenly panic started to fill Regina's heart while she tried to think how and when exactly Emma might have gotten so hurt that she was now too weak to move. She truly must be a horrible person if someone one could die right next to her without her ever noticing. The thought that Emma might actually be dead had crept up on her without her really noticing and now that it was there she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.

"Emma? Emma!" she whispered and gave her a little kick, "are you all right?" Emma gave an almost unnoticeable nod, "it's just... I don't like horses. They're just so tall and heavy, you know?"

Regina really did not know how to respond to that. She added the information to her mental list of Emma's weaknesses that she might be able to use one day against her. Only know the list seemed a bit ridiculous. Her instinct was to exploit this invitation for mockery to the fullest but somehow that did not feel quite right. Instead she restricted herself to a simple, weak "okay".

The rest of their journey passed without any more talk or anything happening which gave Regina more time to think than she liked. Again and again her thoughts returned to Emma and she did her very best to rationalize her feelings. That she discovered that she disliked Emma less than she thought was, if you took a closer look, not that surprising. The only thing the blonde had ever really done to her was give her the child she loved. It was Henry who went looking for her and Emma even tried to ignore the signs that his story was true for as long as she could. Emma was the child of true love and therefore her magic was pure. The Charmings were nothing if not hopeful that everything would change for the best. When Emma touched her it was that hope spilling over. It was not specific to her. Anyone would felt what Regina felt in that moment had they been in her place. And of course she was not lashing out at the blonde at the moment. She was the only familiar person in the Enchanted Forest right now and Regina needed her. Without her magic she was quite defenseless and Emma was the sheriff after all. Everything was normal and fine. The only thing that was confusing was the circumstances they were in. By the time the group stopped at a small, abandoned house she was convinced that that must have been the only reasonable explanation.

No one had been living in the house since the curse struck twenty-eight years ago and the only remaining room with a door that had a functioning lock left was a tiny, damp hole in the cellar. They were given some bread and a few apples and one of the men brought them a pitcher with water and a lantern before the door was locked and bolted behind them.

The lack of horses made Emma awaken from her stupor and she started examining the door and finally took a few steps back and threw herself against it. The door did not move. Emma was sitting on the ground rubbing her right shoulder cursing "fucking shit that hurt." There was a long string of fucks and shits following that until Regina managed to get in a word. "What were you thinking, Miss Swan? It is a ten centimeter oak door and you weigh what, less than sixty kilos?" "Well, at least I am doing something to get us out of here. Why don't you just transport us away or make the door vanish or something like that?" Emma barked back.

"I cannot do it," Regina whispered and squirmed inside. "What?" "I cannot do magic," Regina almost screamed this time, "Do you really believe that I did not try to get away, Miss Swan?" Emma looked somewhat uncomfortable at the outburst but pressed on none the less. "But the hat. You did magic in Storybrooke and now we are in Fairytale Land. It should be much easier, or not?" The last part had almost been a pleading question and that made it less difficult for Regina to admit the following. "It was your magic that made the hat spin, not mine. When you touched my leg it passed through me into it. I did not do anything really." She was certain that Emma must be thrilled to hear how truly helpless and useless she was and she was sure she could not bear to see that look on her face. So she had turned her back to Emma as she was speaking.

After a moment she continued. "Maybe you should try again. You have to focus on an emotion. Hate is normally easiest but it might be different for you. What were you feeling back then?" "I" Emma stocked "I don't remember. Everything was happening so fast. It was so confusing. I really don't know and I don't think I can do magic on purpose."

"Thank you Miss Swan you have been as helpful as always." Regina disgusted herself for being so hurtful but she could not continue to stare at the wall the whole night. She had to face Emma at some point and arrogance was the only way she knew how to deal with her own shortcomings. "Sorry," Emma whispered and then looked around as if searching for a different topic. "Let's just eat something, okay? I'm starving."

The sat down and ate the stale bread in silence. Once when they were both reaching for the water their hands touched and both pulled them back as if they had gotten burned. When the bread was gone Regina pulled off her blazer and folded it together to use as a pillow. She lay down and faced the wall pretending to sleep. Despite being exhausted it took her several hours to actually fall asleep.

The next morning they were given some more bread and water and then separately lead upstairs to the privy and then tied up to a pile while their abductors got ready to leave again. Regina noticed that their number had dwindled substantially. The missing members were no doubt searching for the women they were initially after. Regina just hoped that they had reached safety, if such a thing still existed in this post-apocalyptic world. The leader, the ferryman as the others called him, was ,however, still there and he was staring at them in a way that made Regina feel like a piece of meat, like he was assessing how much money he could get from the butcher for them.

This time around they were allowed to sit on the horse. The giant men from the day before set her in the front and strapped her to the surcingle the horse was wearing. Then they put Emma behind her, put her hands around Regina's waist and tied them together in front of her. The forced intimacy was especially uncomfortable since they had not spoken since last night.

The weirdness must have increased Emma's feeling of being out of the water since she was not only not better with the horse but also tried to keep as far away from Regina as possible. At some point Regina just could not take it any longer. "You have to relax, Miss Swan "she told her "You are hurting the animal sitting up there like a statue." Emma did not reply but after a moment she did indeed take her advice and drew Regina into an embrace. The rest of the day they managed to be civil to each other and they even talked to each other though it was nothing important. Mostly it was Regina talking about life as it used to be in the Enchanted Forest in general without talking about her own history. At some time Emma did even fall asleep resting her head on Regina's shoulder.

In the evening they reached a stream. The ferryman pointed at the other shore "Terre marveile, that's where you're going and my ferry is the only way to and from that place. Have fun." And the he and his men were laughing vilely. At least it explained the unusual nickname. When they reached the ferry they were lifted of their horse and he lead the personally onto it and untied them. "The horses know the rest of the way. I suggest you use them unless you want to starve and die of thirst." He laughed again and stepped of the boat. As soon as he sat foot on land the ferry started to move on its own accord. Emma took Regina's hand and started to run to get enough momentum to be able to jump ashore. They ran right into a magical force field which knocked them to the ground. They could see their kidnappers laughing on the shore as it was getting out of reach.


	3. Chapter 3

III

Regina was pacing on the deck of the ferry which was either really slow or somehow the river was expanding in front of them because they still had not reached the other shore. She passed Emma for what must have been the 100th time. The blond was leaning on the railing and massaging her wrists. Regina reached the other end of the boat and was about to turn and walk past Emma the 101st time when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

„You have to calm down." Emma said and gently stroke her arm. The gesture made Regina shiver slightly. She was going to tell Emma that this was definitely not the right time to calm down but instead she just nodded and sat down. Emma had returned to rubbing her wrists. „Do your wrist still hurt from being tied up?" Regina asked. „Yeah, it's OK though. It's not really that bad." Emma shrugged and sat down beside her a little bit to close for what was usually Regina's comfort. Just now, however, she was to exhausted to mind.

„Looks like we are stuck here for a while," Regina said because she did not now what else to say, „I do not now why this is taking so long." Emma nodded but stayed silent. Maybe it was the fact that they had managed to be in each others company for hours now without one of them trying to kill the other one or maybe it was that the she could no longer stand her growing curiosity about the other woman but Regina was suddenly feeling very bold.

„Tell me something about yourself Miss Swan?" Her question was met met with a puzzled look. „You know all about my story from that bloody book of Henry's but I don't know anything about you. It does not strike me as fair." She added hoping that that was enough to get an reaction. Her boldness was already fading. „I thought you had me investigated," Emma responded resentful. „Yes, but apart form your criminal record he did not find much information about you. You are a book with seven seals or so I was told." Emma looked very pleased with herself after hearing that. „It's not like I know much about you either. I don't think those tales are skewed in your favor. So, if you want to know something about me you have to answer to questions too." Regina just nodded. She should have expected that.

„Okay," Emma started, „what is your favorite TV show?" Regina sighed on the inside. If those were the kinds of questions Emma wanted to asked this might not turn out to be a total disaster after all. „I don't watch TV shows," she could see Emma was about to protest, „but I like C-SPAN." She heard Emma laugh and mumble something about that not being surprising. „I find your governing process fascinating," Regina defended herself. „Fascinating? I would have thought you preferred monarchy over democracy." Emma was still laughing but Regina was resolved to treat this seriously. „I find it ensures a consistent level of mediocrity. Monarchy can be better – it can be much worse too." Emma nodded still bursting out into giggles from time to time. It bothered Regina more than she would admit to herself and she wanted to change the subject so badly that she did not take the time to think about a question of her own but instead just posed Emma's question back at her. Emma took her time to answer which might have been due to the fact that she had to think about it but probably it was just because she had to control her giggle fit first. „Buffy," she finally said, „ I loved Buffy. I had such a huge crush on Sarah Michelle Gellar."

„You like women?" Regina had blurted the question and by the time she realized that she had spoken it was already to late. Additionally she had sounded more like a squealing pig then her usual composed deep voice. She did not know where that had come from but she knew she wanted the earth to open beneath her and swallow her. Surely Emma had taken it the wrong way. She did not have to wait long for an reaction. „Yes I like women!" Emma snapped, „finally found something that explains for you why you think I am a horrible person, have you?"

Emma had stomped off to the point of the boat that was furthest away from her and left Regina to ponder her own thoughts and without giving her the chance to set things straight. She really did not know why she had reacted that way and –. Who was she kidding? Of course she knew why she had reacted that way. She liked Emma and even though she should be thrilled that Emma was actually into women the knowledge made her even more miserable than her usual level of despair. At least before she could pretend the reason Emma was never going to want to be with her was because she was a women, now she had to face it was because she was Regina Mills, the Evil Queen.

Despair was Regina's most loyal companion though and its increase actually allowed her to fall properly asleep for the first time since their arrival in Fairy Tale Land. She dreamed of ravens and crows attacking her with her only defense being a tiny half-starved magpie which was turning more black with every scratch the birds left on her skin until it was completely black itself and joined the attack while Regina became her five-year-old self cowering naked on the floor desperately trying to protect her face with her arms as the blackbirds ripped pieces of flesh out of her.

Then there was an abrupt change and she was back at her parent's home in the stable with Cora crushing Daniel's heart over and over again while she was trapped by vines. Another cut. The green fairy telling her that there can be more than one true love in a persons life but as she leans in to kiss her she finds herself in a lion pit alone with a hungry lion. The fairy's shrill laughter is filing the air as she flies away leaving her. Then the lion attacks. Cut. A man crying on screaming as he is being held on the floor by two other men. Hundreds of women are standing around him silently as a screams 'marveile, marveile, marveile' over and over again.

She was awoken by Emma gently kicking her leg. „We reached the other shore and the barrier is gone," she said and walked off the ferry without giving Regina another look. Regina was still dazed from being asleep and tried to recall her dreams. She knew that there had been something important. She slowly followed Emma onto the shore. Than it hit her: „I remember this place." She repeated the statement louder so that the other woman could hear her. „I remember my father telling me the story of this place." Now she got the blonde's attention. „Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked impatiently.

„I have to warn you but I do not remember everything. There was this man whose name I have forgotten his name[]. In order to revenge his," she hesitated, searching for the right word, „his loss he abducts women and locks them in his castle. They cannot leave this land until someone breaks the spell that he had cast over it. In order to break the spell you have to pass three test of love," Regina finished.

„Love, huh, it always comes down to love with you people. You do know that that's not really what drives the world." Emma sounded annoyed. „Maybe we should have brought my Mary Margaret and David." „Your parents?!" Regina interrupted her. „Charming is the most incompetent and useless imposter of a prince in the history of this and every other world and Snow, Snow – " she could not find words able to accurately express her opinion of the women and suddenly she felt it. Her magic was back and it was more powerful than ever before. It filled every cell in her body and purple smoke started to evaporate out of every pore of her skin until she was clad in a purple cloud. Not for long though. The smoke ignited and she saw Emma taking some steps from the heat of the giant fireball Regina had become. Regina closed her eyes with the picture of Emma's marveling but frightened expression burned into her mind.

Regina just stood there and reveled in her regained power. After a moment of pure heaven she opened her eyes. Emma was still looking at her as if she were a mystical magical creature and Regina chuckled silently when she realized that she was just that. She willed her magic back under her control until all that was left of the fireball was soft glow of her skin.

„Wow, that was amazing. I mean you looked – just wow," Emma shook her head an took a deep breath. „So, does that mean you can get us out of here now?" Of course, Regina had wondered the same thing but there was an outside force blocking her efforts. „I cannot manipulate this land or our place within it. I can maybe move as a few meters but no more." The look of disappointment made Regina cringe inside so she frantically looked for something she could do right. „I can do this," she said and ran her hand over the cut Emma had gotten at the beginning of their unplanned adventure and healed the skin. „Thanks!" Emma had returned to looking at her like she was the eighth wonder of the world and Regina felt an embarrassing amount of pride.

„The sooner we find out something about this place the better, wouldn't you say?" Emma looked at her expectantly. „Three test of love. That should not be a problem for us. It's not like we are not experts in that field," she gave an awkward laugh and than walked with determination towards the horses waiting there for them. Regina caught up with her just in time to stop her to mount one of the horses. „Never get on a horse without checking if the Curt is pulled tight or one day you will find yourself under instead of on top of the horse."

„See, I knew these beast were dangerous beasts," Emma did not look so determined anymore. „Do not call them beast. They are calm, gentle and loyal creatures. They were my only friends growing up." Regina bit her tongue. She really had to stop spilling to Emma as if she were er therapist or priest. She had to remind herself that she was the Savior here to bring Snow her happy ending and destroy everything she had worked and sacrificed so much for. „I never thought of you as a child. I can't quite picture it.," Emma remarked. „I was a weak and frightened little girl. You would not have liked her. No-one did," Regina replied in an indifferent tone. Fortunately Emma did not peruse the topic

She show her how to check her horse's saddle properly and helped Emma up before mounting her own horse. It was a beautiful black stallion that reminded her of the horse whose heart she had ripped out so many year ago. „Just give yours a little kick so that she knows it is okay to start walking," she encouraged Emma, „they know the way home." They had been trodding along silently for a while when Emma spoke quietly „we could have been frightened together as little girls." „I am note homophobic" Regina replied.

The rest of their conversion was less personal and very one sided. Regina told Emma about Fairy Tale Land and the people and creatures living within it and Emma listened for the most part only asking questions from time to time.

They reached the castle grounds at nightfall and discovered that their horses refused to go even one step past the great gate so they had no choice but to continue on foot. By the time they reached the castle on the summit a hill it was pitch black. They had seen no-one anywhere and when they knocked on the thick oaken door it opened by magic. They stepped into the entry hall at the same moment and promptly landed ungracefully on their behinds. The floor was as slippery as ice. Lying there on their backs they looked up and saw a poem in an old foreign language written in silvery letters on the ceiling. „What does it mean?" Emma asked. For once Regina was glad her mother made her learn all those languages. „It says that those who have a dark and a light side to their soul can still be happy as long as they strive for the light one. But those who do not become blacker than even the darkness."

* * *

_**Apologies that it took so long. I hope I will have more time in the weeks to come.  
Reviews are welcome.  
**_


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